Want an extra load of cash a year from now?

I don't have a job. Any money I make is from random money making opportunities that come my way here and there. Before September I made an average of $200 to $300 a month.

On August 29th, I decided something. I said "Starting today, i'm going to put $40 into a locked savings fund EVERY DAY, whether or not I earned any money that day."

See what happens then? The $40 goes in the fund every day no matter what, and I am forced to keep up with that rate of "drainage" on my spending money. I always find some way to stay on top of it, whether it's by acquiring a temporary job, selling something I don't need, etc.

A year from the day I started, i'll have $14,600 in that fund. Not bad for an unemployed 19 year old.

Now, the great thing about this for a lot of you guys is, you're already earning way more than $14,600 a year, and so you can put aside $40 a day, or even $80 in some cases, and have an extra bunch of cash at the end of the year.

If you can't afford that, try $10 or $20 a day. That would be $3,650 or $7,300 respectively, at the end of a year. Figure out an amount that you can lock away every day, and do it. It's so much better having a load of extra cash a year from now, then being able to buy whatever little things you buy day to day. Just cut down your spending a bit, and lock away the money in a systematic format, and NEVER SKIP A DAY.

It's now been over a month since I started putting $40 away every day, and i'm more on top of it than I was when I started. The universe only needs clear instruction on what you want, and it delivers.

Your numbers don't compute. You make 2-300 a month and somehow sock away $40 a day. That's $1200 a month. What do you do when you don't have the $40?

You missed the whole point.

I was making $200-$300 a month UNTIL I started putting $40 a day away. The very act of forcing myself to put that much away every day, cause me to come up with that much money. I've gone from earning $200-$300 a month, to earning $1200 - $1500 a month, simply because I HAVE to keep up with that rate of "drainage" on my saving money. You get it?

Yeah, get back to me after you're paying child-support for your kid produced during college, putting another two kids through day-care, paying the mortgage, two cars, insuring all the people/properties, feeding the crowd, paying down a school loan, and taking care of the odds-&-ends. If you are still squirreling away $1200/month I'll pat you on the back and say, "Job Well Done." Frankly, and I hate to burst your bubble, it's more likely that by the time you are responsible for half the things I've listed, you'll be dipping into that $40/day account at the end of each month.

Oops, I forgot to mention paying for the utilities... But then, the list of demands never ends. And take some of your savings and invest in AAPL - it's on sale right now!

I don't know if you want to be showing up at this time macgeek. Tensions are high from the election, your boys MarcUK and SDW are on hiatus, and hardee has already picked up your stench an hour into your posting.

It's way too early, but this could be the beginning of a classic...

"If I had played my career hitting singles like Pete (Rose), I'd wear a dress." - Mickey Mantle

Well... he DID tell us he was gonna be a millionaire before he was legally able to drink! (or something like that... I'm too lazy to dig up the old thread.) I was just under the impression that he was gonna make his millions in the music and/or film industry. (He being a prodigy and all.)

From out there on the moon, international politics look so petty. You want to grab a politician by the scruff of the neck and drag him a quarter of a million miles out and say, "Look at that!" -...

Yeah, get back to me after you're paying child-support for your kid produced during college, putting another two kids through day-care, paying the mortgage, two cars, insuring all the people/properties, feeding the crowd, paying down a school loan, and taking care of the odds-&-ends.

No... that was somewhat tongue-in-cheek.
But the "universe just needs to know what you want" quote... that's a bit out-there. You're savings account is growing because you are putting money in it, not because you prayed, or told the universe you wanted it. You set a goal and realized you needed to do a little more work to achieve it, so you did. That's good!.... But ascribing your success to "God", or "The Force", or "I told the universe and it delivered" just opens yourself up to ridicule.

From out there on the moon, international politics look so petty. You want to grab a politician by the scruff of the neck and drag him a quarter of a million miles out and say, "Look at that!" -...

No... that was somewhat tongue-in-cheek.
But the "universe just needs to know what you want" quote... that's a bit out-there. You're savings account is growing because you are putting money in it, not because you prayed, or told the universe you wanted it. You set a goal and realized you needed to do a little more work to achieve it, so you did. That's good!.... But ascribing your success to "God", or "The Force", or "I told the universe and it delivered" just opens yourself up to ridicule.

Well that's not exactly what I meant. I just meant that if you set a clear and realistic goal and stick to it, it'll happen.

I am 32 years old. I am divorced with one child. I recently bought a home. I make a good living, but I have a mortgage, child support, a car payment, normal living expenses, etc. hellgate...welcome to the real world. It's a question of basic arithmetic. I transfer a certain amount of money to savings each month, but there is simply no way I could put away $40 a day or even $20 a day. Hell...$20 a day is $500 a month. Are you kidding me? I could cut corners and eek out some extra cash, but no way am I going to get to $500 without drastic lifestyle changes.

I can only please one person per day. Today is not your day. Tomorrow doesn't look good either.

So i'm not allowed to change? I could come back 50 years from now, and my former opinions/thoughts/expressions/postings/ramblings will be pasted on me?

50 years? No, you might get a reprieve -- small though it may be.

Three months after consistently being the same person in all of your guises for years, your self-inflicted tarring hasn't even begun to set, let alone fall off and you are still at it. You think you honestly know better than everyone here; otherwise, why on earth would you have posted this drivel and spent so much verbiage on it?

SDW is right, when life hits, it isn't that easy to save money.

"In a republic, voters may vote for the leaders they want, but they get the leaders they deserve."

I don't have a job. Any money I make is from random money making opportunities that come my way here and there. Before September I made an average of $200 to $300 a month.

On August 29th, I decided something. I said "Starting today, i'm going to put $40 into a locked savings fund EVERY DAY, whether or not I earned any money that day."

thehellgate911, I don't know you but I give you credit not only for your goal but the stating of your goal in public.

There will be many who laugh at and / or question certain aspects of your ideas but let me say that while they laugh you will most likely learn so very much from your venture that a price tag can not be placed upon your experience.

These commitments no matter how seemingly improbable are the sorts of things in my experience which add immense character and wisdom to individuals who are committed to their goals.

I wish you nothing but the best!

Fellowship

May the peace of the Lord be with you always

Share your smile, Have respect for others, and be loving to all peoples

No... that was somewhat tongue-in-cheek.
But the "universe just needs to know what you want" quote... that's a bit out-there. You're savings account is growing because you are putting money in it, not because you prayed, or told the universe you wanted it. You set a goal and realized you needed to do a little more work to achieve it, so you did. That's good!.... But ascribing your success to "God", or "The Force", or "I told the universe and it delivered" just opens yourself up to ridicule.

You got the correct "your" the 2nd time. Do you just try every possible version and hope one of them has to be right?

Maybe try "you'reself" next time?

As to the philosophy behind the original post, it sort of sounds like something straight out of "The Secret". Which I am not totally familiar with because try as hard as I could to picture having the book in my hand it never materialised.

Actually, it was right the first time... but then I went back and changed the sentence so that "You're" should have been changed to "your", but alas, I failed to make THAT change. Just be glad it wasn't "yore".
That happens to be one of my own pet-peeves as well. (along with two, to and too ... or its and it's.)

I TOLD the universe I wanted everything grammatically correct... i can't figure out why it didn't deliver!!!

From out there on the moon, international politics look so petty. You want to grab a politician by the scruff of the neck and drag him a quarter of a million miles out and say, "Look at that!" -...

My philosophy is that you can declare any goal you want, and if it's reasonable, and you believe you can achieve it, your circumstances will support it, and make it possible.

For instance, within a month of beginning my $40 a day thing, I was presented an opportunity to type a 400 page binder into a PDF file for $15 an hour. I made over $700 that week. Nothing like that ever happened when I wasn't putting $40 away every day.

My philosophy is that you can declare any goal you want, and if it's reasonable, and you believe you can achieve it, your circumstances will support it, and make it possible.

For instance, within a month of beginning my $40 a day thing, I was presented an opportunity to type a 400 page binder into a PDF file for $15 an hour. I made over $700 that week. Nothing like that ever happened when I wasn't putting $40 away every day.

I kind of agree with hellgate - to a certain extent we create our own reality. I know that for myself, clear goals and motivations really make a big difference - because my own lethargy is my biggest limiting factor.

Poor people have constant hardship and their lives are out of control, but for middle and upper class people I think that life is very mailable and most of our (non medical) problems are choices (conscious or not).